Butterfly Conservation HAMPSHIRE & ISLE OF WIGHT BUTTERFLY & MOTH REPORT 2014 Hampshire and Isle of Wight Butterfly and Moth Report 2014 Editors: Bob Annell, Mike Wall Production Editor: Bob Annell Writers: Jacky Adams, Bob & Jean Annell, Andy & Linda Barker, Tim Bernhard, Rupert Broadway, Paul Brock, Andrew Brookes, Andy Bolton, Andy Butler, Jayne Chapman, Susan Clarke, Pete Durnell, Mike Gibbons, Richard Levett, Jenny Mallett, Allan Orme, Dave Owen, Nigel Owen, Jon Stokes, Jane Vaughan, Mike Wall, Ashley Whitlock, Bob Whitmarsh Hampshire Butterfly Recorder: Bob Annell Hampshire Moth Recorder: Mike Wall Isle of Wight Butterfly Recorder: Andy Butler Isle of Wight Moth Recorder: Iain Outlaw Database: Bob Annell, Ken Bailey, Kelvin Richards, Mike Wall Webmaster: Peter Eeles Transect Organisers: Andy & Linda Barker Flight period and transect graphs: Andy Barker Photographs: Amanda Adolph, Ken Bailey, Tim Bernhard, Colin Beyer, John Bogle, Ian Boyd, Paul Brock, Andy Brown, Trevor Bumfrey, Andy Butler, Jayne Chapman, Chris Cobb, Andy Collins, Dave Cooke, Sue Davies, Peter Eeles, Glynne Evans, Mike Gibbons, Dan Houghton, Peter Hunt, Sheila Legge, Heather Milles, Tim Norriss, Allan Orme, Dave Owen, Nigel Owen, Stephen Plummer, Maurice Pugh, Tony Rackman, Dave Shute, Sue Stileman, Alan Thornbury, Mark Tutton, Mike Wall, Ashley Whitlock. Maps: Mike Wall Proof Readers: Jacky Adams, Andy Barker Cover Photographs: Trevor Bumfrey (Silver-washed Fritillary) and Peter Eeles (Small Skipper eggs) Published by the Hampshire and Isle of Wight Branch of Butterfly Conservation, 2015 Butterfly Conservation is a charity registered in England and Wales (254937) and in Scotland (SCO39268). Registered Office: Manor Yard, East Lulworth, Wareham, Dorset, BH20 5QP The opinions expressed by contributors do not necessarily reflect the views or policies of Butterfly Conservation. www.hantsiow-butterflies.org.uk Printed by Hampshire Printing Services, Winchester Production of this publication is assisted by support from Hampshire County Council, Hampshire Biodiversity Information Centre, Portsmouth City Council and donations from Branch members Contents Page Introduction – Mike Wall 2 Branch reserves updates– Jayne Chapman Bentley Station Meadow 5 3 8 Magdalen Hill Down 5 Yew Hill 8 Common Species Summary – Bob Annell 11 Weather report 2014 – Dave Owen 12 Glossary of terms 14 Butterfly report 2014 Butterfly record coverage 2014 15 Summary of earliest-latest butterfly sightings 2014 16 2013-2014 butterfly trends in Hampshire and Isle of Wight 17 Species accounts 18 Butterfly Recorders Abbreviations 52 Index to Butterfly Species Accounts 53 Moth Summary 2014 Systematic list New County and Vice County records 55 Systematic review 56 Moth Recorders Abbreviations 76 1 Introduction Hi all, Welcome to the 2014 edition of the Hampshire and Isle of Wight annual review of the lepidoptera year. As will be obvious, this year’s annual report is of a different, more slimline nature to that which we’ve grown used to over the past few years so I will have to start this introduction with an explanation. The reasons are two-fold. From a financial perspective, over the past few years the branch has increasingly come under pressure on costs as the net expenditure (income less costs) has been negative per member. Production of the annual report and newsletters are a significant overhead for the branch on an annual basis and we have therefore had to review how we can continue to offer a premium product while balancing the books. Secondly, producing a report of the size and quality that the branch has produced in previous years requires a prodigious amount of time and effort by a team of dedicated individuals. At the end of 2014 and early 2015, both the incumbent county butterfly and macro-moth recorders resigned for personal reasons; this left the branch with the task of finding both a new butterfly recorder and passing the responsibility of managing the largest county moth database in the country onto one individual. Bob Annell, our new butterfly recorder, has stepped into the breach and with very little support from myself due to work pressures has taken on the task of almost single- handedly producing the document that you are now reading. Without him, there would almost certainly have been no 2014 report, so on behalf of the branch I would like to register my sincere gratitude for his efforts. Looking forward to next year, we would expect to have a team in place to assist the editor with the production process. We would very much like to hear from anyone who has any skills and time available to come forward to volunteer and assist with this work. As a consequence the moth component of the report has regrettably also been greatly reduced. This is simply a consequence of my not having any time to do justice to the job and not wanting to delay getting the publication out any further. We will review the format for publication to be adopted going forward. The year under review was a mixed one for the county’s lepidoptera, with our species’ fortunes fluctuating as ever with the vagaries of the weather. Nature conservation in this country appears to be nowhere near the top of the government agenda – disappointingly inevitable whenever the economy suffers – and the role of organisations such as Butterfly Conservation become all the more important at the same time as funding channels become restricted. Your continued support is so vital in enabling us to maintain and build on the work for which your Branch is nationally renowned, and continue to fight to protect butterflies and moths in Hampshire. Finally I’d like to thank Jayne Chapman and the reserves team for their continued dedication to the cause in 2014, my fellow committee members for their support and energy, and to you the membership without which the branch could not exist. Mike Wall Chair, Hampshire and Isle of Wight Branch August 2015 2 Branch Reserves Update 2014 Jayne Chapman Bentley Station Meadow According to a Met Office summary, spring 2014 was on the whole very average, and followed on from an exceptionally wet and stormy winter season. April proved to be a wet month in Hampshire, with an overall mean temperature for spring of 9.0°C which at 1.3°C above average, was a very respectable 3.0°C warmer than the previous spring of 2013. These are perfect conditions for the emerging hibernators such as Peacock, even though only one was seen on the first transect of the year on 4 April, with a total of 24 seen on transect - just seven down from the previous year. Small Tortoiseshell and Brimstone were up, with Red Admiral up from one to 10, and Orange-tip increasing to 20 from 2013’s 10. In 2013 Marbled Whites increased in numbers significantly, with 92 counted on transect, compared to the previous highest number recorded in 2010 of 51, however, 2014 saw them dip again to a slightly lower count of 33, but that is still the fourth highest count since recording began in 1993. Overall, the counts were down on the previous year, with the only notable exception being the Large Skipper, which was up to 50 individuals, as opposed to just eight in 2013, but still not close to the 72 recorded in 1997. A special mention must be made to the single Pearl-bordered Fritillary seen by Thelma Smalley nectaring on bugle. This is the first record on transect of this butterfly, which also happens to be one of our target species. Although counts of Silver-washed Fritillary were down in 2014, it was still their third best year ever. Clouded Yellow failed to make an appearance on transect, but Dan Hoare noted a freshly emerged individual on 28 October in the eastern corner of the South meadow. Other species of note was an orange ladybird Halyzia 16-guttata, seen by Sue Clark, This species feeds on mildews and requires deciduous trees - particularly sycamore and ash. Up until 1987, it was considered to be an ancient woodland indicator (AWI) species. Another AWI is Herb Paris, which is now well establosihed at Bentley Station Meadow, and increasing year on year. Herb Paris Jayne Chapman 3 Conservation work Conservation work exceeded expectations, with a good turn-out of volunteers at every planned work-party. A rough estimate of the many hours put in by all, including the South Downs Volunteer Ranger Service, Hampshire Conservation Volunteers and contractors, came to approximately 330 hours. The majority of the conservation work is tackled by our own group of regular volunteers but, on occasion, we have to call in the contractors. This was necessary for five days during January, to clear the fallen trees from the previously mentioned storm weather, mostly willow which are particularly prone to wind-blow. Goat Willow and Grey Willow (Salix sp) are host to numerous moths such as Sallow Kitten, and Lunar Hornet moth, and not forgetting the important role they play in the life-cycle of the Purple Emperor butterfly! These willow species frequently hybridise, making identification tricky, so if you ever find yourself wandering through the meadow with time on your hands, have a look at the varied and variable leaf shapes, colours and textures. Grazing Once more, as in previous years, the reserve was grazed with cattle supplied by John and Doreen Wolfe. The two Hereford cattle and a Belted Galloway arrived earlier than usual on 21 July - the aim being to graze a little harder and to take advantage of the drier conditions - and left on 22 October. Great work by the South Downs Volunteer Ranger Service Jayne Chapman 4 Magdalen Hill Magdalen Hill Down gets its fair share of attention over the winter months in the form of work-parties, and probably more than the other reserves just through its sheer size and complexity.